


Bunny Ears and Bumper Cars

by Kou_91



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Comedy, Crack, Fluff, M/M, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-17 01:36:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14177733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kou_91/pseuds/Kou_91
Summary: Natsume's date with his friends at a local amusement park is coming to a close when he crosses paths with Matoba Seiji, the man he'd least expect to find at such a place. But when he hears that Matoba spent his visit alone with only his white mask shiki to keep him company, Natsume takes it upon himself to stay with him until closing time... he just hopes the eccentric exorcist doesn't make him regret it!





	Bunny Ears and Bumper Cars

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by one of the 4-panel manga in the officially-licensed Natsume Yuujinchou gag comic, “Nyanko-Sensei ga Iku!” All you need to know is that in the comic, Natsume is at an amusement park and he runs into Matoba who is there with his white mask shiki. Matoba is holding a balloon and ice cream, and he and all his shiki are wearing rabbit ears.
> 
> ...And when Natsume asks what he is doing there, he claims he's hosting a work retreat for his shiki.
> 
> I am not joking, that seriously happened in an officially-licensed comic. As you can see, the premise is quite crazy, so this fic is a little crazy too, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

“Perfect!” Natsume whispers to himself, admiring the matching rabbit-shaped phone charm souvenirs he bought for Touko-san and Shigeru-san. They were so kind to give him an allowance to go to this amusement park with his friends. He felt so guilty when their faces fell with worry when he accidentally let slip to them that he’d never been to one before. When they see these charms and all the photos he’s taken with Tanuma, Nishimura, and Kitamoto, they’ll surely feel comforted knowing that he had such a great time.

Of course he had to buy something for sensei at the gift shop, too. That moody cat wasn’t happy when he found out that people don’t bring their pets to theme parks. For him, nothing but an edible souvenir would do, so Natsume bought a box of cookies in the shape of the same rabbit characters as the charms he bought for the Fujiwara. These rabbit characters seem to be the park’s mascots. All day Natsume has seen people laughing and playing in bright pink rabbit ear headbands. Nishimura was the only one in their group bold enough to buy a pair, of course.

“Natsumeee! Come on, we’ll miss the bus home!” Nishimura pouts as he taps on the store window from outside. 

"Just a minute!" Natsume replies as he takes one more quick glance around the shop. Rushing to catch up with his friends, Natsume bumps into a man headed for the same exit.

“Excuse me!” He stammers, blinking in surprise when he realizes the man is wearing a black kimono. An odd choice for an amusement park.

“Oya? Natsume-kun?”

The familiar deep voice causes Natsume’s blood to run cold. His eyes slowly track upwards to meet the man’s face, but the unexpected mix of features both familiar and strange is too much for the boy to process.

There is no doubt the man is Matoba Seiji, head of the Matoba Clan. But his usual black robes are contrasted by an array of bright pink accessories. A gift bag dangling from his wrist, a strawberry ice cream cone in one hand, a helium balloon in the other... but the most bizarre of all is on the very top of his head: one of the park’s famous bright pink rabbit ear headbands.

“UWAAAH!!!” Natsume's trademark exclamation earns him dirty looks from every customer but Matoba, who simply chuckles at the sound. Now hyper-aware of his volume, Natsume drops his voice to hiss in a whisper that is somehow still louder than his normal speaking voice.

“Matoba-san, what are you doing here?!” 

The exorcist blinks in confusion as he looks at the treats and goodies he’s holding in either hand.

“Isn’t it obvious? We're having a work retreat."

Natsume’s eyes track higher still as a dark shadow looms overhead. Standing at least two meters tall each, four of Matoba’s white mask shiki appear, flanking either side of their master in pairs. And of course, upon each of their heads is another set of those bright pink rabbit ear headbands, the tips nearly touching the ceiling given the shiki’s towering statures. Natsume’s knees wobble at the sight of the massive creatures, but the absurdity of Matoba’s comment brings him back to reality before he can act on the reflex to punch one of them and flee.

“A WORK retreat?!” Natsume balks at the story as he scans the crowd for more familiar faces. “You brought your clan here?!”

“Not my clan, just my shiki. Everyone else was busy.” Matoba shakes the gift bag on his wrist as if it somehow offered explanation or proof. “But it’s fine, see? I bought Nanase a souvenir…”

“Your SHIKI?! Matoba-san, no one else can see them! Don’t you realize how weird that is? From everyone else’s point of view you’re basically here… alone.”

Natsume isn’t sure why, but the last word comes out more quietly than those preceding it. 

“Is that strange? I didn’t know. I’ve never been to an amusement park before today.”

“H-huh?” Natsume’s chest tightens. His harsh tone goes soft when he speaks next. “You’ve never been before? And you’re… alone?”

“No,” Matoba laughs, shaking his head as he takes a lick of his strawberry ice cream cone. “I keep telling you, I’m with my shiki.”

Natsume turns back to look through the gift shop window, watching his friends laugh and play outside as they wait for the bus home. His mind wanders to last week at school when, after hearing Natsume had never been to an amusement park before, Nishimura showed up the next day with pamphlets fanned in his hands telling Natsume to take his pick. They spent all week planning, and their day was perfect. They rode every roller coaster in the park, ate their fill of treats, and even managed to catch a parade. But those things aren't why their day was perfect. It was perfect because they were together.

Natsume looks back at Matoba and wonders how his first time at an amusement park must have went. As if on cue to respond to Natsume's question, the exorcist takes another lick of his ice cream cone, causing a small lump of the frozen treat to fall to the gift shop floor. "Oya..." He murmurs and, without missing a beat, he simply points at the mess and all four shiki dive for it like puppies excited to receive their favorite table scraps.

Natsume groans, turning away from the somewhat disturbing sight. If that display is in any way representative of how Matoba has spent his time at the park, Natsume is positive there is no chance the exorcist's day went as well as his. But the park is still open for a few more hours...

“Natsume? Who is that guy?” 

Oh, no. 

Tanuma.

Natsume whips around to find himself face to face with his friend. But Tanuma isn’t looking at him, he’s looking up at Matoba. Specifically at his eye patch. And ponytail. And black robes. And the ominous paper seals sticking out of the sleeves of his kimono… why did he bring those, anyway?!

Natsume has to think fast.

“Y-you can see him?” He stammers. “The ayakashi standing behind me?”

"AYAKASHI?"

Matoba snorts, and Natsume steps back to stomp on the exorcist’s toes before launching himself forward to grab his friend’s shoulders, guiding him out of the gift shop and slamming the door behind them.

“Yes. Ayakashi. Please, Tanuma, I need you to cover for me. I can’t take the bus back with everyone. I know this ayakashi, and I need to stay here and help him with something.”

Ever the reliable friend, Tanuma nods with a determined expression. “I don’t know what’s going on but leave it to me.”

Natsume smiles, feeling equal parts relieved and guilty that his friend is always so trusting. But when Tanuma turns to go back to the bus stop he suddenly freezes, looking back over his shoulder at Natsume with a worried look.

“Wait… he isn’t dangerous, is he?”

Natsume blinks. For a moment Tanuma’s question makes him wonder whether he’s doing something foolish. But his mind is made up.

“Not nearly as dangerous as he looks.”

With that, Natsume turns back towards the gift shop. Marching to the door with his hands balled tightly into fists, he hopes his brave face is enough to distract from the fact that he’s trembling. Memories of blackmail and dungeons are causing him to have second thoughts, but the feeling of the gift bag in his own hand urges him on. Because he knows when he gets home, he has the Fujiwara to celebrate this day with. But who does Matoba have?

Natsume doesn’t know the first thing about the exorcist but the fact that he’s here accompanied only by his shiki is evidence enough to Natsume that the answer is no one.

When he throws the shop door open, he finds himself face-to-face with his target.

“M-Matoba-san!” He exclaims, only to blush after being startled by the overly-loud volume of his own voice.

“Yes, child of man?” Matoba responds with a chuckle at his awkward attempt at a youkai impression. Now Natsume is having both second and third thoughts. But he pushes them to the back of his mind as he thrusts his hand forward, palm open.

“Matoba-san, you can’t spend your first time at a theme park alone. So… you’re coming with me!”


End file.
